Tire tool



' June 28,1949.

VVLJ-(ZCDX TIRE TOOL Filed Nov. 26, 1946 I E1 E1- Patented June 28. 1949 UNITED STATES. PATENT OFFICE TIRE TOOL William Jared Gox, Woodruih. Utah Application November 26, 1946, Serial No. 712,321

3 Claims; 1 The invention aims to providea simple, inexpensive and effective tool designed primarily for spreading the beadsof a tire casing toeitheraid in inserting the inner tube, ortofacilitate inspcction for casinginjuries;

In carrying out the above end, a furtherobject is to provide abead spreading tool constructed" for operation within the circumference of the casing, but readily convertible. to inwardlystraddle the casing; if desired.

A still further object, is to provide a construction which may: be used" also to force the tire beads toward each other to. facilitate removal of a tire from a rim.

Yet another object is to make novel provision for holding the tool: in. head-separating position.

Figure 1 is a transverse section. through a casing and a side elevation of the tool showing the manner of using the latter within the circumference of the casing to spread the beads.

Fig. 2 is a view similar to 1. but illustrating the tool converted to inwardly straddle the. casing'to perform the bead-separating;operation.

3 isv a. fragmentary perspective view illustrating the bead-engaging end of one of the levers of the tool.

Fig. 4 is a detail perspective view of one of the auxiliary hooks which are engageable with. the bead-engaging ends of thelevers when the tool is to be used as: seen in Fig. 2.

Figs. 5 and 6 are detail sectional views on lines- 5-5 and 6-6 respectively of Fig. 1..

Fig. '7 is aperspective View showing a somewhat difierentform'of construction.

In the drawings above briefly described, the numerals l and 8' denote two crossed levers pivoted' together at 9"f'or movement in. a plane trans.- verse to a tire casing I'll, the front end portions H of said levers being directed laterally so that each lever is substantially J-shaped, permitting the tool to be used either within the circumference of the casing Ill, as shown in Fig. 1, or astride the casing as illustrated in Fig. 2. It will be noted that the pivotal connection of the levers is adjacent the juncture of the opposed curved inner ends with the straight outer ends of the levers.

The front extremities of the end portions II are provided with two fiat, rectangular integral heads [2 respectively, said heads being elongated to extend circumferentially with respect to the casing beads l3 and projecting laterally in opposite directions with respect to said end portions I I and their plane of operation. Each head I2 is disposed in a plane substantially radial with respect to the pivot 9 and the two heads will,

thereforelie substantially fiat against each other when the tool is closed, and the outer longitudinal edge of each head i2 is provided at its ends withtwo outward-1y curved claws l4. When the tool" is in a closed position and the two pairs of claws are inserted between the beads IS, the tool mas then be operated to readily spread the beads l3 as seen in Fig. 1. Also, when the tool is placed astride. a tire casing and is then closed, the heads I2 and claws Hi will serve effectively to move the casing beads toward each other to permit easier removal of a tire. from a wheel.

In order that the tool may be used. astride a casing, instead ofwithin the circumference thereof, if desired, when the beads are to be separated; I provide the bead-engaging hooks l5 shown in Figs. 2' and. 4'. These hooks l5 are. formedby bendin fiat metal plates and have angular shanks, the two end. portions of which. are denoted. at 16 and IT respectively. The shank portions l6 of the two hooks I 5. lie. against the outer sides of the heads t2; and the portions I! extend between. the claws- [4,. and the. upper endsof said portions I6? have. integral, attaching. hooks. i8 detachably engageable. with studs. [.9 which project inoppoa site directions from the lever ends It, in spaced relation with the inner edges of the heads L2. The portions l6 of the two hooks 15. are formed with notches. 2'11 tostraddle. the lever ends |-l The. auxiliary hooks.- maybe readily detachedbysimply swing-mg them outwardly and disengag.- ing their attaching hooks I8 from the studs I19, whereupon. the. tool is readily useable either to forcethe-beads of a tirecasing toward each other,

to. facilitate tire removal, or to spread the beads when the tool. is used as; in Fig. 1. Should it bedesiredv to use the tool. in the manner shown in Fig. 2, the auxiliary hooks are readily connectible with the lever ends H, to permit such use.

Novel provision is made for holding the two levers 1 and 8 against accidental return when the tool has been operated to spread the beads. This means includes a rod 2| having one of its ends pivoted at 22 to one of the lever ends ll, said rod extending across the rear end portion of the other lever. In the present disclosure, the rod is pivoted to the end ll of the lever l and extends across the rear end portion of the lever 8. An elongated U-shaped yoke 23 is provided, through one end of which the rod 2| extends. The other end of this yoke is suitably secured to a yoke-mounting plate 24 which is pivotally mounted at 25 on the lever 8. In the present showing, the mounting means 25 includes a boss 26 on the plate 24, said boss extending through an opening 21 in the lever 8, and a screw 28 threaded longitudinally through said boss, a washer 29 being interposed between the free end of the boss and the screw head.

A channel-shaped shoe 30 is formed with a longitudinal slot 3| through which the yoke 23 extends, said shoe contacting with the side of the rod 2| toward the yoke-mounting plate 24. Interposed between this plate and the shoe 30 is a coiled compression spring 32. The free end of the screw 28 projects beyond the plate 24, within the spring 32, and holds the latter in place.

The side of the rod 2| disposed away from the lever 8 is formed with transverse grooves 33, any of which may receive the outer end of the yoke 23, and it will be seen that the spring 32 will exert a yieldable pressure against said rod .to hold any groove properly engaged with said yoke end, and the grooves 33 are preferably oi such shape that they will not interfere with sliding of the rod 2! through the yoke 23 as the two levers 1 and 8 are relatively moved to spread the beads of a casing, the grooves and yoke, however, preventing return movement of parts until rod 2| is pressed toward lever 8 to disengage the yoke 23 from the groove previously holding it.

In Fig. 7, a hand lever 35 is pivoted at 811 to the outer end of the lever B and is disposed substantially parallel with the rear end portion of the lever l. A link 36 is pivoted at 36a to the rear extremity of this lever B and is pivoted at 3511 to the lever 35, said link 36 being substantially parallel with the rear end portion of the lever 9. The lever 35 may be operated to move the heads I2 inwardly and outwardly with respect to each other and when said lever has been operated to outwardly move said heads to the maximum, it drops slightly below dead-center and is then received in a U-shaped clip 31, one end of which is mounted on the pivot 36a.

From the foregoing, taken in connection with the accompanying drawing, it will be seen that novel and advantageous provision has been made for carrying out the objects of the invention, and while preferences have been disclosed, variations may of course be made within the scope of the invention as claimed.

I claim:

1. A tire casing spreader comprising two J- shaped levers having their curved inner ends in opposed relation to straddle the exterior of a tire casing and their straight rear ends crossed and pivotally connected, two flat rectangular heads rigidly joined at their centers to the free extremities of the curved inner ends of said levers respectively, said flat heads being disposed in planes substantially radial with respect to the pivotal connection of said levers, spaced out- '4 wardly curved claws rigidly joined to the outer longitudinal edges of each of said heads, a pair of laterally projecting studs on the curved inner ends of each of said levers adjacent the outer sides of said heads, two detachable casing-bead hooks for said levers respectively, each of said hooks comprising a fiat metal plate bent to form two shank portions and of a width to enter the space between the claws on said heads, one shank portion carrying the hook to engage the inner side of a casing bead and the other shank portion to lie against the outer side of one of said heads, said other shank portion being notched to straddle one of said levers and having curved hooks to engage a pair of said studs, and means for securing said levers in an adjusted position.

2. In a tire tool having two relatively movable levers; holding means for said levers comprising a rod pivoted to one of said levers and extending across the other of said levers, an elongated yoke through one end of which said rod extends, a yoke-mounting member secured to the other end of said yoke, pivot means pivoting said yokemounting member to said other lever on an axis at a right angle to said rod, said rod having a transverse groove to receive said one end of said yoke, a shoe slidably engaged with said yoke for movement longitudinally thereof, said shoe contacting with the side of said rod toward said yokemounting member, and a spring interposed between said yoke-mounting member and said shoe for exerting an outward force to yieldably hold said groove of said rod engaged with said one end of said yoke, said spring being yieldable to permit such movement of said rod as to disengage said groove thereof from said one end of said yoke When it is required that said rod slide through said yoke to permit relative movement of said levers.

3. A structure as specified in claim 2; said pivot means including a screw having a portion projecting from said yoke-mounting member toward said rod, said spring surrounding and being held in place by said portion of said screw.

WILLIAM JARED COX.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 1,388,909 Woodworth Aug. 30, 1921 1,759,052 Hopkins May 20, 1930 1,815,764 Edelmann July 21, 1931 1,869,244 Gabler July 26, 1932 1,902,283 Jackson et al. Mar. 21, 1933 2,042,312 Huebner May 26, 1936 

